As My Vacation Lady has said many times since the pandemic started, 2020 is going to be a year like no other. Just another wrinkle in the news for those who planned on or still plan on traveling this year (or even early 2021). This includes renewing your U.S. passport. The passport office limited passport processing to only life or death emergencies starting on March 19
Passport Operations in Response to COVID-19
Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have extremely limited U.S. passport operations.
If you apply or renew now, you will experience significant delays of several months to receive your U.S. passport and the return of your citizenship evidence documents (such as birth certificates or naturalization certificates). Unless you have a life-or-death emergency, please wait until we resume normal operations to apply for or renew your passport.
This is what we have heard from a colleague’s U.S. representative:
The Passport Agency plans to open in 3 stages. Currently, only Life-or-death emergencies passports are being processed. If you have a life or death emergency, Call 1-877-487-2778, After hours: 202-647-4000.
Backlog: 1.6 million applications and growing. An average of 9,000 daily applications.
APPLICANTS WAITING: Significant delays
NEW APPLICANTS : Disrupted summer travel plans, Level 4: Global Health Advisory, No expedited service and
No processing time commitment for routine service. Phase 2 will be limited emergency services as well.
Phase 3 will be normal processing. There is no time frame for the phases.
PLEASE take careful note of this and make travel plans accordingly- even if you are planning to travel in early 2021.
The team at My Vacation Lady will help you plan more than just a trip. We’ll help plan your vacation or honeymoon experience.
